The availability of CD ROMs and the ready access to the Internet provide an unprecedented and ever-increasing wealth of information to computer users. An encyclopedia that once might consume two dozen volumes and several bookshelves now fits on one or more CDs or DVDs. Countless libraries of recorded information and an endless string of media sources covering current events are available via the World Wide Web (hereinafter, the “web”). The web is a virtually limitless store of information that includes billions of web pages.
Unfortunately, however, the abundance of information, combined with the structure of the Internet potentially obscures information of interest from being readily discoverable. By its very nature, the Internet has no hierarchical structure. Thus, information of interest may be stored on any page of any domain. There is no Dewey Decimal System in cyberspace to assist users in locating information on specific topics.
On the web, most information is found using online search engines. Search engines typically employ indices formed by “web crawlers” that parse pages on the web, the pages to which those pages link, and so on. The indices used by search engines are based on words found on those pages, as well as position, prominence, frequency of user access, and other attributes. A user wanting to access the web enters search text in Boolean or plain language queries, and the search engine scours the indices to find pages using the search terms. Results typically are returned in a linear list of items, based on some form of ranking. The items are typically presented in descending ranked order, determined based on the attributes mined regarding the usage of the word or words included in the search, the frequency of access by users, or other attributes.
Search engines are generally capable of finding results of interest on almost any topic. However, because they search for strings of text, the success of a search may be hampered by the quantity of the pages indicated by the search terms, the design of the search engine, the skillfulness with which the search query was crafted, and the degree to which the information desired is capable of being accurately represented in a query.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary search screen 100, which is a user interface to an Internet search engine. Search screen 100 is accessed via a web browser application that presents a site name field 102, a command bar 104, a toolbar 106, and a web address bar 108 that includes an address field 110 that both enables a user to enter a web address and displays the address to the page being displayed. In FIG. 1, a user has navigated to a search engine query page 120 that the user reached by entering the uniform resource locator (URL) 122, which is the address for search engine query page 120, in address field 110. At the search engine query page, a search field 124 includes a search bar 126, where user can enter a query. Here, the user enters as a query 128 the term “China” and then clicks on a search button 130 to initiate the search.
FIG. 2A illustrates a search results page 200 that is generated by the search engine. Address field 110 now contains an address 202 of the specific search result based on query 128 having been entered into search bar 126. More specifically, search results page 200 presents a number of items found 206 and a list of items 210-218. Most search engines present items 210-218 in the order of descending rank, regardless of the type of document that each represents. The rank, as described above, depends on factors such as the prevalence, prominence, and frequency of access of pages including the search terms, or other attributes. Each or the items 210-218, such as item 210, includes an item name 230, an item summary or portion of the item's content 232, and a URL 234, Item name 230 and URL 234 are typically presented as hypertext links, and selecting either item name 230 and URL 234 causes the browser to retrieve and display item 210, if the item is available.
Search results page 200 includes more items than can be presented on one screen or one page. As indicated in items found 206, many items have been retrieved by the search, of which only 10 are displayed on the present page. Only a few of those are displayed on the present screen. A next page link 204 causes the browser to retrieve the next set of results. A scroll bar 208 is generated by the browser, indicating and/or enabling the user to view the remaining search results of the first 10 results listed.
FIG. 2B shows the complete first page of results screen 200. Results screen 200 includes items 210-228. As can be seen in FIG. 2B, items 210-228 encompass a range of topics. Items 210 and 228 concern Chinese current events, items 212 and 222 concern dishware, items 220 and 224 concern the geography of China, and remaining items 214-218 and 226 concern other items otherwise also relating to China. Because items 210-228 cover a wide range of topics, it is unlikely that all of items 210-228 (if any) are of interest to the user of the search engine. With regard to the nation, “China” encompasses an enormous range of topics and issues. Further, because of the synonymy of the word “china” with dishware, the search may retrieve information having nothing to do with the nation of China.
Thus, considering the search for the word “China,” it is not clear that any of the results retrieved or displayed on search result screen 200 would be of interest to the user; a search engine would be incapable of making this distinction. If items 210-228 are not of sufficient interest or relevance to the user, the user has a number of options. First, the user can navigate to other pages of the search results using either toolbar 106, next page link 206, or a search result navigation bar 240 generated by the search engine. Alternatively, the user may enter a new query in search bar 126. If entirely dissatisfied with the results provided by the search engine, the user may abandon the search engine entirely and enter a new address in address field 110.
FIG. 3 shows another search result screen 300 retrieving a list of items 310-318 in response to a new query. Dissatisfied with the first search, the user has commenced an entirely new search by entering a new query 328, “map of China” in search bar 126. The new query seems to indicate more clearly the type of information the user wants to access. According to the much smaller number of items found 304, a shorter and likelier narrower list of results has been retrieved. Moreover, item 316 refers to a map of China, and item 318 refers to an article about Chinese geography. Thus, if the user wanted to see a map of China, on the second attempt, the user seems to have initiated a more helpful search. In the second search, some seemingly extraneous results such as items 310-314 that also mention or include the word map are presented, but at least have not pushed seemingly more relevant results off a first results screen.
Results 316 and 318 were also retrieved by the first search of FIGS. 2A and 2B, as results 224 and 220, respectively, but the user would have needed to scroll through other results to reach items 220-224. It is possible that, upon seeing results 224 and 220, the user had the idea to search specifically for a map of China.
Considering the example of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 3, presenting a linear list of items in search results may not return the desired information to the user. It is highly desirable to be able to present search results so as to enable a user to readily focus on a specific content for which the user is searching. Further, it is highly desirable to present search results in a way that indicates the types of content that are available, to assist the user in devising a more appropriate search.